Eligibility
The following services can access the program:
- sessional kindergarten services
- long day care services with an approved kindergarten program (for children enrolled in kindergarten program)
- State Delivered Kindergartens.
Program aims
The program will:
- increase the confidence, knowledge and skills of educators to create an inclusive learning environment for children with additional needs and maximise their engagement in learning during their kindergarten year
- deliver practical support and information to educators about appropriate educational adjustments, expectations and experiences for children with additional needs
- provide current information and research about children with additional needs and translate this into best practice advice and support for educators.
Available supports
Eligible services can access the following support.
Universal support:
- Workshops and webinars.
- A physical and virtual library with a suite of resources.
- Supporting families who are connected with the organisation to consider enrolling their children in an approved kindergarten program.
Targeted support:
- Individual educator support via phone calls, emails, online and face-to-face meetings.
- Service visits working with individual teachers, educators and all kindergarten staff.
- Leadership in the development of networks/communities of practice for sharing knowledge and mutual support amongst early years staff.
Organisations and contacts
These 4 specialist organisations will provide advice and support to build educator capability and enhance the access, inclusion and outcomes of kindergarten children with additional needs:
- Autism Queensland Limited
- Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability Queensland
- Hear and Say Limited
- Speld Qld Inc.
Autism Queensland
Autism Queensland (AQ) is the state’s peak autism body, delivering specialised and evidence-informed education, therapy and support services across Queensland. A dedicated team including qualified early childhood teachers and therapists will deliver the service.
Visit
AQ's kindergarten inclusion service online resource hub for further support.
Phone: (07) 3540 8610
Email:
css@autismqld.com.au
Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability Queensland
Down Syndrome and Intellectual Disability Queensland is the state's peak body for intellectual disability. Our Kindergarten Inclusion Service can provide expert support to educators of children with Down syndrome, intellectual disability, developmental delay or global developmental delay, or other complex profiles (with or without a formal diagnosis). Our experienced, early childhood teacher can provide universal and targeted supports to build kindergarten educators’ capability. Our statewide service will support kindergartens in metropolitan, regional, and remote areas.
Phone: 1300 881 935
Email:
kindy@dsidq.org.au
Hear and Say
Hear and Say is Queensland’s leading provider of paediatric audiology and specialist speech pathology services (listening and spoken language).
The organisation:
- specialises in supporting families whose child has been diagnosed with a permanent hearing loss
- provides acoustic audits for early years settings
- works with families so that their children can become great communicators and confident within themselves through each stage of learning and development, and as they transition to school
- takes a collaborative, evidence-based approach to services, with 3 decades of experience in the training and education for professionals, including teachers, educators and other early years staff.
Phone: (07) 3850 2111
Email:
kindyinclusion@hearandsay.com.au
Speld Qld
Speld Qld is a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to support people experiencing learning difficulties.
The Speld Kindy Inclusion Service is a team of speech pathologists and education advisors who provide professional development and targeted support for oral language and early literacy skills. Areas of support include language development, phonological awareness, multilingual language learners, embedding visual supports, emotional literacy and speech sounds.
Register your kindy service on the Speld Qld website.
Phone: (07) 3391 7900
Email:
kindy@speld.org.au